ZOOLOGY AND BOTANV, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 277 



The assimilating parenchyma lies on the side exposed to the 

 light, and, where only one side is so exposed, has the ordinary 

 palisade-form, of which there are several varieties. In Pinus, Picea, 

 Ce.dnis, Larix, Pseudolarix, Abies, Tsuga, Pseuclotsuga, Cunninghamia, 

 Sciadopitijs, and Gingko, the vascular bundle is surrounded by a lignified 

 protecting sheath, usually consisting of cells varying in size and 

 number, in which the bordered pits are irregularly disposed over the 

 lignified cell-wall. The xylem usually occupies the part of the 

 bundle nearest the upper surface of the leaf, and consequently facing 

 the stem ; in Sciadopitys the reverse ; the position of the " transfusion- 

 tissue " in relation to the bundle varies greatly ; in Abietineae its walls 

 are always provided with bordered pits ; in Taxinese they are 

 reticulately thickened. Sclerenchymatous cells are sometimes imbedded 

 among the parenchymatous cells. 



The position of the resin-passages corresponds to that described 

 by Thomas and Meyer. A sheath of bast-cells occurs only in Pinus 

 and some species of Picea ; these cells are slightly thickened in 

 Cedrus and Sciadopitijs ; the outer layer of cells surrounding the 

 resin-passages is lignified in Tsuga, Arthrotaxis latifolia, Sequoia sem- 

 periirens, Torreya, and Gingko. The resin-passages are not lignified 

 in Abies, Larix, Pseudolarix, Pseudotsuga, Araucaria, Cryptomeria, 

 Dammara, Sequoia gigantea, Taxodium, Dacrydiuvi, Saxe-Gothea, and 

 Podocaipus. 



Peculiar Epidermal Organ.* — HerrG. Ebel describes a peculiarity 

 of the epidermal cells of various species of Eriocaulon, which is pro- 

 bably of mechanical significance. These cells have long protuberances 

 on the inner side which project into the tissue of the plant like 

 bristles. They resemble in form the cells of a palisade-parenchyma, 

 but always remain in connection with the epidermal cells, and are, 

 like them, thick-walled and destitute of chlorophyll. Each epidermal 

 cell has either one or two of these appendages. In other instances 

 they were shorter. 



Aril and Seed of the Nutmeg-, f — Herr A. Tschirch finds the 

 epidermis of the aril of Myristica fragrans to consist of several layers 

 of cells, beneath which are delicate vascular cells, large oil-cells, 

 and fundamental tissue. The cells of the latter contain a proto- 

 plasmic matrix, imbedded in which are grains, from 2 to 10 /a in 

 size, of a peculiar substance, shown, by their microchemical reactions, 

 to belong to a peculiar grouj) of albuminoids. 



The cells of the endosperm are filled with starch, oil, and grains 

 of aleurone, with some protoplasmic residue. The aleurone-grains 

 contain either a number of small crystalloids or a single solitaire. 



Phylloclades of Phyllanthus.|— Herr H. Dingier describes in 

 detail the flat leaf-like shoots that go by this name in the section 

 Xylophylla of Phyllanthus, especially with reference to the course of 



* Versamml. Deutsch. Naturf. Strassburg, 1885. See Bot. Centralbl. xxiv 

 (1885) p, 288. t Ibid., p. 313. 



X Diuglei-, H., ' Die Flachsprosse der Pkanorogameu. Heft 1, Phyllanthus, 

 sect. Xylopbylla.' 153 pp. (3 pis.), 8vo, Miiuchen, 1885. 



